


Caving in

by SandyFeral



Category: Darkwing Duck (Cartoon 1991)
Genre: Other, parental relationship, self hatred
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-12
Updated: 2020-03-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:02:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23120671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SandyFeral/pseuds/SandyFeral
Summary: Twelve year old Anahita sneaks out at night for something she’s done many times before. Only this time she’s interrupted.
Kudos: 12





	Caving in

She hadn’t been sure she wanted to do this tonight.

It was late at night. It always was when Anahita did this. Unlike a normal twelve year old, Ana didn't need sleep. By now she knew that this time of night was when her parents were least likely to notice her sneaking out. Too busy wrapped around each other most likely.

Soon she was slipping out of the main entrance onto the cool grass. With a maneuver that would be  _ very _ difficult if she hadn’t done it many times before, she made her way onto the roof of her home. She sat, gazing up at the stars in the night sky.

_ Do I really feel like doing this tonight? _

This thing. This little routine she had developed, was an exercise in fertility. Every time it brought nothing but frustration and an aching disappointment. And yet there was an urge, a hatred, an overwhelming desire that brought her back up here night after night.

“Maybe,” Ana whispered. “I can just enjoy the view for once.” 

She lay down on her back and examined the stars. There were only a few constellations she knew, but she tried to identify them. It was when she brought her hand up to trace a constellation that the urge came back. Staring at her hand, feeling every drop of water in it, some drops dripping onto her face.

Sitting up, she held her hands in front of her. They were trembling.  _ Why do they always have to be like that? Why do they… _

Her trembling increased as she let go.

The mysterious force of will holding her together began to weaken. Water began to fall off the roof as her left arm fell apart, and her legs melted away leaving her nothing but the waist up.

Her remaining hand clutched at the side of her head, tearing her body. She pulled off the water that formed one of her ears as her body continued to drip away.

“Get off,” she growled at her own body. 

This was fruitless, she knew this, but some part of her had to try. A small part of her brain couldn’t accept that there was no way to  _ TEAR HERSELF _ out of this watery prison she called a body.

“Get off!” She cried louder. “GE-”

At that moment she felt it. A larger amount of water on the roof behind her. Instinctively her powers wrapped their grip around the liquid, ready to manipulate it.

Even though it already belonged to someone else.

“...Ana…”

Anahita looked back at him, only now realizing she had tears in her eyes.

“What are you doing here dad?” Ana asked, not using her normal variation of his parental title. She wasn’t in the mood for that right now.

“I… I came up to see you, of course,” Liquidator replied, cautiously moving towards her. 

“How did you know I was here?” 

“My powers have picked up on the fact you’ve snuck out multiple times. I thought you were doing some normal reckless youth activities you’d grow out of eventually until I realized you always headed to the roof. Then I assumed you were simply stargazing. And tonight I thought I’d join you.” He sighed, and sat down a couple feet away from her. “Must have been wrong in both assumptions.”

Anahita didn’t respond. Liquidator frowned, and moved a bit closer.

“Sweetheart, are you going to tell me what this is abo-” Liquidator paused, feeling himself getting pushed away a bit by Ana’s powers. “Ok, so I’ll take that as you  _ don’t  _ want to tell me.”

Bud decided to take a different approach. At the very least she needed to be restored a bit. She had lost so much water, and what was left no longer looked like her normal chubby self. If she wouldn’t tell him why she had done this, then he saw no reason not to try to fix this.

Resisting the urge to move closer again, Liquidator took out some of his own water and began feeding it into her body. It took her a few moments to realize he was doing this, but when she did she shrunk back, and stopped the incoming water.

“What are you doing?” She asked, sounding somehow offended.

“I’m trying to give you some of your body back Ana. You need more water, I mean look at yourself!” He said.

“ _ Don’t _ ,” she said, her voice quiet but harsh.

Liquidator was beginning to get a bit frustrated, but tried not to let his tone show anything but concern. “Sweetheart are you mad at me for something?”

“I-” Ana was a bit caught off guard. “I’m not mad at you r-right now. I just… don’t want to see you.”

“Why not?”

“Because you know,” she gestured to his watery form.

“Well that seems unfair I can’t exactly help  _ that _ ,” Liquidator said. “Is that what this is about? Why you keep coming up here? Because you don’t want to be around me?”

“I don’t want to be around myself either,” Ana whispered.

“Don’t be like that. You’re wonderful, intelligent, charming, and powerful, why dislike yourself just because of what package you come in?”

“I don’t know how you can say that.”

“Well that’s the way I’ve always thought of my situation,” Bud said. 

“Sorry dad. I don’t feel like that,” Ana said.

There was silence. In that moment Liquidator wished Bushroot was there. He was so much better with this type of stuff. Bud himself had taken his mutation as an opportunity. At the very least Bushroot seemed to know what it was like to have insecurities about his body.

And talking to Anahita… 

Liquidator was simply not as good at that either.

Eventually Ana spoke again.

“Will you always be there for me dad?”

Liquidator looked at her. “Of course! Why on earth would you think I wouldn’t?”

“I don’t know. You help.  _ Normally _ you help. Maybe not right now but… I’m never going to get used to this entirely. And I’m never going to forget what you did. But knowing that you can be there to take care of me and that I’ll never be the only one like this, helps a lot. And I know that there’s a way to be  _ okay _ existing like this. Because it doesn’t bother you. And maybe one day it won’t bother me either.”

Liquidator was momentarily at a loss for words but managed to smile. “I’m… glad I can be useful then. Even if clearly my parenting skills aren’t doing much.”

“No… you being my dad  _ does _ help a lot. I didn’t think I’d need to say it. Your parenting changed my life. I still need it. Just not  _ right now _ .”

“Then… as your parent I don’t want you tearing yourself apart anymore. Think you can promise me that?”

“... I won’t do it any more tonight. I promise”

Liquidator wanted to groan at that but decided against it. He’d try to come up with a more permanent solution later.

“Do you think you could come here for a moment?” He asked. 

Anahita’s body drooped a bit but she moved over to him. She tilted back a slight bit as he leaned over, but he simply kissed her on the forehead and gave her a hug.

“I’ll leave,” Liquidator said, his voice calm. “If that’s what you want. But don’t be afraid to give me a call if you need me. Or a tug of your powers can reach that far.”

“They probably can.”

“Ah! Getting stronger every day. I’m so proud of you.” Liquidator retreated to the edge of the roof. “I love you.”

“Yeah… me too.”

“Good! You should love yourself.”

“Dad, you know I meant I love  _ you _ too,” Anahita said, turning to him. But he was already gone.


End file.
